Dry Cleaning Archives - Carpets Wall to Wall

Carpet Sprouting, Sprouts, Tuft Loss and Holes

Carpet Holes Sprouting and Yarn Pulling Out

My carpet is going to go bare! A complaint so often heard from consumers when they see loose tufts, snags and carpet sprouting on their wall to wall carpet. Seeing the yarn coming out of their carpet says to them that the carpet is failing and there must be a manufacturing problem. Most carpet sprouting issues, high tufts or even holes in carpet are not manufacturing problems even though they are a carpet issue that needs to be addressed. At the same time, some tuft loss on a cut pile carpet is considered normal and is not a reason for alarm. When in question, expert certified carpet inspectors like Terry and Kevin Weinheimer of the Weinheimer Group can determine cause and if a simple correction is called for or a carpet needs to be replaced. [Read more…]

Dry Foam Carpet Cleaning

By Terry Weinheimer 3 Comments

Dry Foam Carpet Cleaning, is it for me?

Dry foam carpet cleaning is a very low moisture cleaning procedure consisting of about 90% air and 10% liquid.

The dry foam carpet cleaning machine is equipped with a pressure tank in which a mixture of water and shampoo is placed. A compressor on the machine converts the solution into foam which is then dispensed onto the carpet with a revolving cylindrical brush. The brush works bubble of uniformed size foam into the pile of the carpet so that each individual fiber of the carpet is cleaned. Once the foam has dried, the carpet needs to be thoroughly vacuumed to remove the dried crystals of dirt that have been left behind.

Dry Foam Cleaning Steps

Vacuum the carpet and spot clean to remove spots and stains.
Mix the dry foam solution following the directions of the manufacturer. Using too little or too much chemical can result in poor results so stick with the measurements stated in the directions.
Shampoo the carpet.
If the carpet is a cut pile or shag, groom the pile to speed the drying process and leave the pile running in the same direction.
Place aluminum foil or furniture blocks under the furniture legs to prevent wood stains or rust.
Once the carpet has dried thoroughly vacuum it.

Advantages of Dry Foam Carpet Cleaning

The process of dry foam cleaning is capable of covering a lot of area in a very short amount of time.
There is little danger of saturating the carpet simply because the moisture content is low. This will also help you to minimize the problems that are commonly associated with over wetting.
Dry foam is a good choice if you have older, more soiled carpet that you want to get as clean as possible.
You can rent a machine at many hardware or equipment rental stores.
They don’t cost that much to rent, which is great for those who just want to give it a shot and see what happens.
Dry foam carpet cleaning isn’t that hard to do, as you’ll be fine even if you have no experience with these types of machines.

Disadvantages of Dry Foam Carpet Cleaning

The dry foam carpet cleaning method is capable of removing average levels of soil.
There is the possibility of excessive residue and soil build up if the machine you are using has inadequate extraction capabilities.

7 Easy Carpet Care Tips

By Terry Weinheimer 7 Comments

Seven Carpet Care Tips

For house cleaners, here are seven easy care tips that will make your life easier when it comes to caring for your carpet. Around 80% of the soils that enter a building or home are dry. The remaining 20% are greases, oils, and starches. Keeping a carpet clean will extend its life while keep it looking new for a longer period of time. A clean carpet will also reduce household allergens and dust helping to protect the health of your family.

Carpet Care Tip 1 Vacuuming

The dry soil types are easily removed by vacuuming. As long as they are removed on a daily basis, it will help to minimize the damage to the carpet. Since vacuums can become overwhelmed by too much dirt. Regular thorough, deep vacuuming is surely the most important step when it comes to carpet care. While non-traffic areas can be vacuumed quickly major traffic areas should be vacuumed in more than one direction as you run the vacuum slowly giving it time to pick up the deeper soil. Not all vacuum cleaners are equal. The best hardwood floor vacuums will do a better job of cleaning a carpet than even a specialized carpet vacuum, if it is of poor quality. A good quality vacuum is not necessarily the most expensive.

Carpet Care Tip 2 Walk Off Mats

Keep those dry and gritty outdoor soils from being tracked on to your wall to wall carpet. One of the best and easiest ways to do this is to use walk off mats and area rugs at entrances. Always use entrance mats outside of your doors and make sure that anyone who enters your home use the mats to help get debris and dirt off of their shoes before they enter. Where possible also use an area rug or walk off mat inside your door to help trap soil missed by the outside mats. All mats and rugs need to be vacuumed and cleaned regularly so that they are trapping dirt and not placing dirt on to your shoes.

Carpet Care Tip 3 Shoes

Many people prefer that their family and guest go shoeless on their carpet. This can be helpful, especially if you have slippers that are only worn indoors that you slip into upon entering. The oils from oily bare feet will transfer from ones feet to the carpet.

Carpet Care Tip 4 Pets

If you have pets you need to understand that oil does transfer from pet hair to carpet. Placing an area rug in areas where your pets like to lay will provide excellent protection for your carpet.

Carpet Care Tip 5 Spots and Spills

Keep your eye out for spills and take care of them in a quick manner to keep your carpet clean. Most spots and spills can be easily cleaned by blotting with no more than clean tap water and a towel. If water does not work you will need to use a cleaning product for the specific type of spot you are experiencing problems with.

Carpet Care Tip 6 Deep Cleaning

Have your carpet professionally deep cleaned. A good thorough cleaning for your higher traffic areas should be performed at least every 12 to 18 months.

A well maintained home and clean carpet will not only add value to your home it will also extend the life of your carpet, protect your carpet warranty, reduce household and pet odors, assist you in keeping your family healthy and your friends and other visitors will be impressed at how nice your home looks.

Carpet Care Tip 7 Optical Brighteners

While optical brighteners can make a carpet appear cleaner, they have a harmful effect on carpet fibers. Technical people in the carpet industry have unanimously taken a stand against the use of brightening agents in the cleaning process. But, even with all of the adverse publicity, optical brighteners or color brighteners, as they are often called, are still used in some spot cleaning products, shampoo, dry-foam and extraction detergents.

Optical brighteners are actually dyes, which reflect the light and eventually cause yellowing in carpet fibers. For this reason alone, every legitimate carpet cleaning company should outlaw their use.

Follow these 7 easy Carpet Care tips and your carpet will stay looking new longer.

Carpet is one of the largest investments a homeowner will make. At times, your expensive carpet, hardwood, laminate or other floorcovering investment will fail.

The Weinheimer Group is here to help you. Many answers can be found on our webpages. When a more in-depth analysis is required, our Nationally Recognized Certified Floorcovering Experts are available to investigate the cause of complaint.

We will visit the installation, perform on-site testing, photograph and document the concern. Following our review of tests results and technical data, we prepare a written report based on the facts.

Our Certified Carpet and Flooring Inspectors are members of National and International Professional Organizations such as WFCA, NWFA and NICFI.

Each inspector holds multiple certifications from national and international associations such as NWFA, NALFA and FCITS.

We service Oregon and Washington on a regular basis. As industry-recognized experts, we are available for travel and consulting throughout the United States.

For more information or to arrange for service, Contact The Weinheimer Group. 800-621-3437